New research has found that dowry-related deaths in India, despite continuing to claim thousands of women's lives each year, no longer ignite the public anger or political debate they once did. This decline in collective outrage occurs even as the number of recorded cases has risen significantly, from 1,841 in 1988 to 6,516 in 2022.
The study, conducted by Dr Kriti Kapila, a social anthropologist at the King's India Institute, part of King's College London, highlights a concerning societal shift. While dowries were outlawed in India in 1961, demands from grooms' families persist, often escalating into abuse, harassment, and, in severe instances, murder or forced suicide when these demands are not met. Dr Kapila suggests that the current political climate in India, characterised by stricter control over public protest and dissent, contributes to this subdued reaction.
Historically, dowry killings sparked significant feminist activism in the 1970s and 1980s, becoming one of the first mass movements organised by women in post-independence India. However, the research indicates this movement has faded as the dynamics of these deaths evolved. In earlier decades, many brides were murdered in staged 'accidental' kitchen fires. As paraffin, or kerosene, was phased out of Indian homes in the 1990s, this alibi became less plausible. Instead, hostile in-laws increasingly drove young brides to take their own lives.
This transition from overt murder to forced suicide, according to Dr Kapila, transformed public outcry and grief into 'private shame and sorrow'. This shift made it more challenging to campaign against what appeared to be self-inflicted deaths, effectively stifling the public outrage that had previously mobilised communities. The study, which has been peer-reviewed, places these findings in the context of broader social changes, including legal reforms aimed at dismantling caste hierarchies that inadvertently transformed how dowries operated without eliminating the underlying social structures.
Furthermore, the research points to the increasing prevalence of sex-selective abortion as a way to avoid future dowry-related debt. India's 2001 census revealed a skewed child sex ratio, with a national average of 927 girls for every 1,000 boys, and even lower figures in some regions. Dr Kapila believes that the intimate, familial nature of this violence inherently impedes public mobilisation against these killings, leading to fewer women and, consequently, fewer sisters in society.
The practical implications for UK society, particularly for British Indians, include a need for increased awareness and support for women who may face similar pressures or violence, even if culturally distant. Understanding these dynamics can inform community support initiatives and educational programmes aimed at challenging harmful practices that transcend geographical boundaries.
Source: King's College London